Apparatus for making bowling balls



Sept. 20, 1966 E. F. EGGER APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOWLING BALLS Filed July 2'7, 1961 R O T m V m U W 2 0 a 0/ 2 a w 4 m I: o 0 4 l G/ I hHH l l Ii 8 I M M M /O '1 H-IIIHII. M HU I I I HH 4 0 rl,

United States Patent Office 3,273,250 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 This invention relates to apparatus for drilling finger holes in bowling balls and also to apparatus for plugging existing holes in bowling balls.

With a new bowling ball it is necessary to drill finger holes so that the bowler can grip the ball. In order to do this it is necessary to find a best or correct position for the fingers of the bowler. Also, with old bowling balls it is often desirable to fill the existing finger holes and drill new holes for another bowler or to drill new holes to make the grip correct for the bowler. A comfortable position is not necessarily the best or the correct position for a bowlers fingers, although it may be.

From my experience with bowling, and also from working with the drilling of finger holes in a bowling ball and the plugging of the existing finger holes, I have invented new apparatus for finding a correct position for the fingers of the bowler.

I have invented an apparatus and a process which makes it possible to more positively position the finger holes in a bowling ball according to the proper grip of the bowler; a finger positioning device by which the bowler can grip a simulated bowling ball and move various means in the finger positioning to accommodate his fingers so as to properly grip the simulated bowling ball; a device for transferring the position of the fingers in the simulated bowling ball device to a bowling ball and for drilling the finger holes in the bowling ball according to the position in the simulated bowling ball; apparatus to assist in plugging existing holes in a bowling ball; and, which apparatus is inexpensive to manufacture and also to operate.

With my device I have discovered that there is a certain individual grip for each hand. The pitch of the holes and the distance the fingers are apart is adjusted until it fits the hand. Surprising as it may seem each hand feels proper only in one certain position, as to the pitch of the holes and the span of the holes, when the ball is lifted and swung. This position is referred to as a basic measurement. I believe that anyone fitting for drilling of finger holes must have this information in order to do the job correctly. Experiments with my measuring ball, or simulated bowling ball, have changed the old limit of pitch to 1 /2 left or right side pitch as much as 1 inch pitch reverse for the thumb, and as much as 2 inch reverse for the fingers. Because of correct finger holes many bowlers have increased their scores, and many now en joy bowling because their hands fit properly in the bowling ball.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more particularly brought forth upon reference to the drawings, the detailed specification and the claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a specific embodiment of the invention constructed in accordance with the preferred teachings thereof, and illustrates a simulated bowling ball for determining the proper position of the fingers of a bowler;

FIGURE 2, taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1, is a cross-sectional view of the simulated bowling ball and illustrates the thumb sleeve and the manner in which the sleeve is attached;

FIGURE 3, taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, is a cross-sectional view illustrating the thumb sleeve in the simulated bowling ball;

FIGURE 4, taken on line 44 of FIGURE 1, is a cross-sectional view and illustrates the thumb sleeve and the manner of its attachment,

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional illustration of another embodiment of a finger stall and the manner in which the finger stall is attached to the simulated bowling ball.

Referring to the drawings, and especially FIGURES 1 through 4, it is seen that the invention comprises a simulated bowling ball 40 composed of two hemispherical members 42 and 44. In the simulated bowling ball 40 there are spaced apart finger stalls 46, 48 and 50. The.

finger stalls 46 and 48 may be considered for receiving the fingers of a bowler and the stall 50 may be considered for receiving the thumb of the bowler. In the stall 50 there is positioned a sleeve 52. The thumb sleeve 52 is positioned in ball 40 by means of a plate 66.

More particularly, a semicircular finger 54 encases the outside of the sleeve 52. Attached to this semicircular finger 54 is a shaft 56 and on the end of the shaft 56 is a ball or a sphere 58. The simulated bowling ball 40 comprises a shell 60. In this shell 60, and near the opening or stall 50, there is a recess 62. In this recess 62 there is positioned a coil spring 64. The coil spring 64 bears against the sphere or ball 58. Underneath the ball 58 is a plate 66 and which plate has a recess 68 for receiving the sphere 58.

In FIGURES 3 and 4 it is seen that in the plate 66 there are two passageways 70. Also, in the shell 60, and positioned near the recess 62 are two tapped drilled openings 72. Bolts 74 are passed through the passageway 70 and screwed into the t apped openings 72. These bolts 74 support one end of the plate 66. On the other side of the recess '68 there is a drilled tapped passageway 76. In the shell 60 there is a recess 78 for receiving a bolt 80. Bolt '80 can be passed through the recess 78 and screwed into the tapped drilled hole 76.

In use the bolt 80 can be turned so as to loosen the plate 76. This makes it possible for the sphere 58 to easily rot-ate in the recess 68 and in the spring 64. A bowler can insert his thumb in the sleeve 52 and position the sleeve until his thumb is in a correct position. Then, he can remove his thumb from the sleeve 52 and the bolt 80 can be tightened so as to firmly posit-ion the sleeve 52. Then, the angle of the sleeve 52 can later be measured, this will be described in a subsequent part of the specification, and the thumb hole drilled in the bowling ball according to the angle of the sleeve 52.

It is to be realized that although the sleeve 52 and its associated parts have been described with reference to the thumb, the same construction can be used for the finger stalls 46 and 48.

In FIGURE 5 there is illustrated another manner for positioning finger sleeves and thumb sleeves. Again, there is a simulated bowling ball having a shell 92. In the shell 92 the-re is a stall or opening 94. The shell 92 has a circular inwardly directed lip 96. The lip 96 encompasses the stall 94. This lip, and the shell 92 around the stall opening 94, are of a semispherical configuration. In the shell 92 and the lip 96 are passageways 98.

Coacting with the circumscii bing lip 96 is a circumscribing member 100. This member 100 is of a semispherical configuration, less than one half of a sphere, and has two tapped passageways 102 therein, and which passageways are aligned with passageways 98. In the pasageways 9'8 and in the tapped holes 102 there may be screwed a bolt '104.

The lip 96 and the member 100 cofit so as to define more than of a sphere. Cofitting with the inner surfaces of the lip 96 and the member 100 is a generally spherical configuration '106. The configuration 106 may be considered to be a carrier for a tfinger or thumb sleeve "10 8.

In use, the bolts 104 may be unscrewed so as to loosen the member 100 with respect to 106. The bowler can insert a thumb or finger in the sleeve 108, rotate the sleeve 108 to a desired comfortable position, and then the bolts 104 can be tightened so as to firmly position the sleeve 108. The pitch or angle of the sleeve 108 can be measured and from this measurement a corresponding hole drilled in a bowling ball.

From the foregoing it is seen that I have provided a simulated bowling ball for a bowler to grip so that a proper gripping position of his fingers and thumb can be realized. From this simulated bowling ball and the grip of the bowler it is possible to take measurements to determine the position of the finger holes and thumb hole, viz., the distance betweenthe finger holes and the thumb hole and pitch of the holes with respect to a forward pitch, a reverse pitch and also whether to the left or right.

Having presented by invention, what I claim is:

1. A mechanism for determining the position for fingers in a bowling ball, said mechanism having a first v the shell adjacent said stall, said recess receiving said sphere, yieldable means bearing against the sphere and nring the sphere into the recess and against the plate, and means to move the plate with respect to the shell so as to restrict the movement of the sphere and the first sleeve.

2. The mechanism recited in claim 1, and having first means in operative relationship with said sleeve for moving said sleeve in a first plane, and second means in operative relationship with said sleeve for moving the same in a second plane, the latter plane being substantially at right angle to said first plane.

6. The mechanism recited in claim 1, and having a second sleeve in said second stall; and having means to vary the distance between said first and second sleeves.

4. The mechanism recited in claim 1, and having a second sleeve in said second stall; and means to rotate said second sleeve with respect to said first sleeve.

5. The mechanism recited in claim 3, and having a second sleeve in said second stall; and means to rotate said second sleeve with respect to said first sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,643,557 6/1956 Grove 77-63 2,693,034 11/1954 Watson 33174 2,706,338 4/ 1955 Ackerman et a1. 33174 2,714,256 8/1955 Watson 33--174 2,879,679 3/1959 Nell 7763 2,910,780 11/1959 Netf 33174 2,949,064 8/1960 Adcock 9012 2,968,101 1/1961 Tessman 33174 2,969,000 1/ 1961 Grobecker 90 12 2,976,616 3/1961 Doyle 33174 LEONARD FORMA-N, Primary Examiner.

FRANK E. BAILEY, ISAAC LISANN, Examiners.

- F. C. MATTERN, SAMUEL S. MATTHEWS,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. A MECHANISM FOR DETERMINING THE POSITION FOR FINGERS IN A BOWLING BALL, SAID MECHANISM HAVING A FIRST STALL FOR RECEIVING A THUMB AND A SECOND STALL FOR RECEIVING A FINGER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND STALLS BEING SPACED APART, A SLEEVE IN SAID FIRST STALL, SAID SLEEVE BEING CAPABLE OF MOVING SO AS TO ACCOMMODATE THE THUMB IN DIFFERENT POSITIONS, A FIRST MEANS COMPRISING A SPHERE IN TEGRAL WITH SAID SLEEVE, SAID MECHANISM HAVING A SHELL IN THE CONFIGURATION OF A BOWLING BALL, A PLATE, SAID PLATE BEING POSITIONED INSIDE OF SAID SHELL AND CONNECTED TO SAID SHELL, A RECESS IN THAT FACE OF THE PLATE WHICH FACES THE SHELL ADJACENT SAID STALL, SAID RECESS RECEIVING SAID SPHERE, YIELDABLE MEANS BEARING AGAINST THE SPHERE AND URING THE SPHERE INTO THE RECESS AND AGAINST THE PLATE, AND MEANS TO MOVE THE PLATE WITH RESPECT TO THE SHELL SO AS TO RESTRICT THE MOVEMENT OF THE SPHERE AND THE FIRST SLEEVE. 